FMCG major Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) plans to cater to the premium segment through its existing brands. The company is also mulling a re-entry into the air-care segment through its own brand sometime next fiscal.
Godrej, at present, does not have any premium offerings. It caters mainly to mid and mass segments across three verticals — personal care, home care and health care.
“We would like to enter the premium category. However, instead of launching new products, we are considering the introduction of new labels across our existing brands,” Mr A. Mahendran, Managing Director, GCPL, told
He, however, did not specify what these premium products would be. “It might be the renovation (of a previous product) or an innovation. As of now, we have kept all options open,” he said.
Personal care segment
In the personal care segment (primarily soaps, deodorants and talcum powders), its offering includes brands like Cinthol and Godrej No. 1. Its home care segment includes mosquito repellents and pesticides through brands like Hit and Good Knight. In the hair colour vertical, it has brands like Godrej Expert.
Air Care Entry
On air-care segment, Mr Mahendran said, “We might contemplate a possible re-entry into the air care segment. It could be sometime next year, perhaps in the first or second quarter.”
Following the sale of distribution rights (globally) by US-based Sara Lee to Procter and Gamble, Godrej had stopped distribution and marketing of the Ambi Pur brand of car air freshners. It had also stopped the distribution of two other Sara Lee's brands — Kiwi (shoe polish) and Brylcreem (hair grooming gel).
“These brands were not substantial revenue generators for the company,” a senior company official said.
Mr Mahendran, however, said, the company is likely to introduce its own brand of air freshners rather than bringing in its Indonesian acquisition — Stella — into the country.
Stella is an air-freshener brand from Megasari (Indonesia).
Godrej had acquired the Indonesian FMCG in May 2010.
Company sources hinted that Godrej might use technological expertise from Megasari to enter the air-care vertical. The segment is dominated by brands like Ambi Pur and Air Wick.